Council’s legal fight to reclaim £82k from St Helens store

Andy Moffatt

Council chiefs in St Helens claim they are owed a staggering £82,000 by a failed town centre department store, it has emerged.

The Paris store closed its doors just three months after it opened to much fanfare in March this year.

A number of staff came forward shortly after its demise claiming they were owed money for work done.

Now officials at St Helens Council have started legal proceedings against Ideal Home Stores in a bid to reclaim unpaid business rates debt.

A council spokesperson said: “After failure to pay agreed instalments, a liability order for non-payment of business rates has been obtained in the Magistrates Court against Ideal Home Stores Limited, who were responsible for the Paris store in the Hardshaw Centre.

“The liability order authorising further recovery action has been passed to the council’s enforcement agents to attempt collection of the debt, currently calculated to be in the region of £82,000, before insolvency proceedings are instigated.”